Chapter 79: Capital Flight

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Capital Flight

The beam of pure celestial fire punched a ten-foot-wide hole straight through one hundred floors of the Dragonheart Spire.

Molten titanium, shattered marble, and pulverized glass rained down the edges of the vertical shaft, glowing like a man-made volcano. The localized updraft created by the intense heat howled through the subterranean detention block, violently whipping Evelyn’s long black hair around her face as she lowered the Bloodhound’s Fang.

Far above them, visible only as a tiny square of gray sky through the glowing tunnel, the silhouette of a massive, heavily armored TIG carrier hovered into position.

A heavy, mana-woven extraction tether dropped down the center of the shaft. It fell flawlessly, completely ignoring the intense heat of the molten walls, and slammed onto the titanium floor at Donald’s feet.

"Harness," Donald ordered over the deafening roar of the updraft.

He didn’t wait for Sylvia to process it. He grabbed the heavy carabiner attached to the tether, quickly looping the secondary safety straps around Sylvia’s waist, and then securely strapping Leo against her chest. He locked the primary mechanism to his own tactical harness.

Nyx hopped from Donald’s shoulder, burying herself comfortably into the collar of his jacket to avoid the wind.

"Evie," Donald called out, locking his grip on the heavy cable. "Cover our six."

Evelyn’s S-Rank wings flared, the sapphire and gold light pushing back the oppressive darkness of the ruined detention block. "I’ve got you. Go."

Donald tapped his earpiece. "Aris. Reel us in."

The extraction was violent and immediate. The winch on the heavy carrier above kicked into high gear, yanking Donald, Sylvia, and Leo off the ground at terrifying speed. They shot upward through the glowing, molten shaft.

Floor after floor of the Dragonheart Spire blurred past them in a dizzying streak of ruined offices, shattered conference rooms, and panicked Sentinels. The Capital elites rushed to the edges of the blast hole on various floors, leveling their energy rifles and magical staffs into the shaft.

They didn’t get to fire a single shot.

Evelyn ascended directly beneath the tether, acting as a living, heavily armored rearguard. The Valkyrie didn’t even need to swing her sword. She just let her raw celestial pressure expand into the shaft. As she flew past, the sheer density of her aura shattered every remaining pane of glass on the breached floors, violently knocking the Sentinels backward before they could pull their triggers.

As they blew past the eightieth floor—the executive suites—Donald caught a fleeting glimpse of Julian Vane.

The Dragonheart Emissary was standing at the edge of the molten crater in his ruined office, his face pale and contorted with absolute, helpless rage as he watched his most valuable hostage being airlifted right out of his impenetrable fortress.

Evelyn saw him too. As her black hair whipped wildly in the slipstream, she hovered for a fraction of a second outside his breached floor. She gave Vane a mocking, two-finger salute, then flared her wings, accelerating upward and leaving the ruined Emissary in a cloud of holy fire and ash.

A moment later, they broke through the roof of the Spire.

The freezing, pristine air of the Capital hit them instantly, followed by the heavy mechanical roar of the TIG carrier’s thrusters. The cargo bay doors were wide open. Aris Thorne stood at the edge of the ramp, her coat blowing in the wind, flanked by heavily armed Investment Guild contractors.

The winch pulled them seamlessly into the reinforced bay. Donald hit the metal deck, instantly unhooking his harness and stabilizing Sylvia as her boots touched down.

"Go!" Aris yelled to the pilot over the headset. "Get us out of Capital airspace right now!"

The cargo bay doors slammed shut. The heavy carrier banked sharply, its thrusters glowing white-hot as it broke the sound barrier, rocketing away from the gleaming Capital and back toward the smog-covered safety of Genesis City.

Inside the pressurized, soundproofed cabin, the deafening roar of the wind vanished, replaced by the low, steady hum of the engines.

Sylvia dropped to the floor, pulling Leo into a desperate, crushing hug. The ten-year-old boy buried his face in his sister’s shoulder, his small hands gripping her tactical jacket like it was a lifeline. He wasn’t crying anymore; he was just holding on, finally realizing they had actually escaped.

Evelyn landed softly on the metal deck, her wings dissolving into golden light. She ran a hand through her messy black hair, smoothing it out as she walked over to the medical station. She grabbed a thick thermal blanket and a thermos of hot cocoa the crew had prepared, walking over and gently wrapping the blanket around Leo’s shoulders.

"Here you go, little man," Evelyn said softly, offering him the thermos. Her celestial aura was completely retracted, leaving only a warm, comforting presence. "You’re safe now."

Leo looked up at the terrifying, beautiful S-Rank Awakener who had just blasted a hole through a hundred-story building, then timidly took the thermos. "Thank you."

Sylvia looked up at Evelyn, then across the cabin at Donald, who was quietly unfastening the Abyssal Impact gauntlet from his arm. Her violet eyes were swimming with an emotion far deeper than gratitude. It was absolute, unbreakable devotion.

"Aris," Donald said, walking over to the Guild Oracle. "Status."

"The Capital is in absolute pandemonium," Aris said, handing him a digital tablet. "Vane’s raid on the Abyssal Gate was already a massive political scandal, but you just dropped a bomb on their headquarters. Dragonheart is bleeding stock value by the second. The Association is refusing to intervene, citing the Vanguard Clause you invoked yesterday. Legally, the Capital can’t touch us right now without declaring open war on Genesis City."

"Good. Let them bleed," Donald said, taking a seat in one of the leather command chairs. "We lock down the city the moment we land. Garrick installs the new B-Rank Aegis Wards over the Guild headquarters, and we shift our entire focus to the Abyssal Gate."

"Understood," Aris nodded, heading for the cockpit to coordinate with the ground teams.

Donald leaned back in the chair. Nyx crawled out of his collar, curling up comfortably on his chest and purring.

He had secured his city. He had broken the Dragonheart Guild’s local leverage. He had gained a loyal, incredibly lethal A-Rank assassin, and he had five million fresh System Credits sitting in his bank account.

Now, it was time to collect the real prize.

Donald pulled up his internal interface, accessing his inventory. He selected the glowing golden scroll he had earned from the Severed Leash hidden scenario.

[Item: S-Rank Skill Scroll (Targeted Selection)]

[Class Restriction: Investor Only]

[Description: The System has analyzed your current assets, net worth, and upcoming threats. Please select ONE of the following three S-Rank Investor abilities to permanently add to your portfolio.]

Three shimmering, golden holographic cards materialized in the air in front of Donald.

[Option 1: S-Rank Skill - ’Venture Capital’]

Effect: Burn System Credits to temporarily overwrite the level and stats of one contracted ally. You can force an A-Rank asset to temporarily output S-Rank damage, or heal fatal wounds instantly, at a cost of 1,000,000 Credits per minute of activation.

[Option 2: S-Rank Skill - ’Absolute Monopoly’]

Effect: Designate a physical territory (e.g., Genesis City) as your Corporate Domain. While inside this domain, all allied structures passively regenerate, and all hostile entities suffer a permanent 30% reduction to their Speed and Mana regeneration.

[Option 3: S-Rank Skill - ’Hostile Takeover’]

Effect: The ultimate financial counter-measure. When an enemy casts a spell, activates a skill, or deploys a domain, you may instantly purchase the rights to that magical output using System Credits. Once bought, you can instantly cancel the attack, or redirect it back at the caster with double the kinetic force. Cost scales based on the Rank of the enemy’s attack.

Donald stared at the three holographic cards.

Venture Capital was incredible for keeping Evelyn and Sylvia alive against impossible odds. Absolute Monopoly would turn Genesis City into an impregnable fortress.

But Donald’s eyes locked onto the third option.

He was going to war against the Circle of Demon Kings. He was going to face entities that could casually wipe cities off the map with world-ending magic. Wards could break. Base defenses could crumble.

But Hostile Takeover changed the fundamental rules of engagement. If a Level 100 Demon King tried to drop a meteor on his Guild, Donald didn’t need to block it. He could literally buy the meteor out of the sky and drop it back on the Demon King’s head.

It was the ultimate manifestation of the Investor class.

Donald didn’t hesitate. He tapped the third card.

[Selection Confirmed.]

[Skill Acquired: Hostile Takeover (S-Rank)]

[Integration Complete.]

A deep, resonant hum vibrated through Donald’s core. The golden cards shattered into light, sinking directly into his chest. He felt his mana pool permanently shift, re-wiring his magical circuits to interface directly with the System’s economy.

He casually swiped the interface away, a cold, satisfied smile touching his lips beneath his mask.

"Evie, Sylvia," Donald called out quietly over the hum of the engines.

Evelyn, still standing near the medical station with Leo, looked over. Sylvia stood up from the floor.

"Rest up on the flight back," Donald said, leaning his head back against the leather chair as Nyx purred on his chest. "When we land, the honeymoon phase is over. We have an Abyssal invasion to prepare for, and I’m ready to start spending some real money."